Page 36 of Blake

"Thanks, Daddy," she whispered, her eyes shining with gratitude.

"Let me warm up some milk for you before I go," he said, striding to the kitchen and heating it on the stove. As he waited, his thoughts raced. What if something happened to her while he was gone? Could he trust himself to keep her safe?

"Here you go," he murmured, handing her the sippy cup and a bib. "Put this on so you don't mess up your PJs."

"Okay, Daddy," she agreed. “I’ll go wash then put on my PJs and a bib.”

"Snuggle up on the couch and watch some cartoons, alright?" He tried to sound reassuring despite the turmoil inside him. "I'll be back before you know it."

"Promise?" Savannah asked, her green eyes searching his.

"Promise," he replied, pressing a brief kiss to her forehead before shouldering his gear and leaving the safehouse behind.

***

The Haven loomed dark and foreboding as Blake entered, his brothers waiting for him with grim expressions.

"Alright, let’s do this," Blake said, taking a seat between Jax and Nash.

"Before we get into that," Jax began cautiously, "how's Savannah?"

"Safe," Blake replied tersely. "For now."

"Look, man, we're here for you," Nash chimed in, his voice gentle but firm. "But we need to know everything if we're going to help. You’ve been stuck to this girl like glue. How much danger is she in? Tell us what’s going on. Are you into her or something?"

"Fine." Blake sighed, rubbing a hand over his stubbled jaw. "We . . . uh . . . we had sex."

“Youwhat?” Nash shouted, then glanced over at the bar.

Rosie rolled her eyes at him.

"Shit," Jax muttered, exchanging a worried glance with Nash. "That's not like you, Blake. Mixing business with pleasure. So, what, are you her Daddy Dom now?”

Blake gritted his teeth. “We don’t have a contract.”

“Whoa, whoa whoa,” said Jax. “You fucked her without a contract? Was it just vanilla sex then? No spanking? No Dom stuff?”

“Not exactly,” said Blake, uncomfortable discussing the matter with his brothers, but even more uncomfortable that he hadn’t followed procedure. “It was just so hard to . . . hold back. You know?”

His brothers blinked back at him. Obviously, theydidn’tknow. Neither of them had gotten laid in a long, long time.

“You know how important those contracts are for trust and boundaries," Jax said at last.

"I know, I know," Blake admitted, frustration seeping into his voice. "But it just . . . happened. And now I can't shake this feeling that . . . maybe I'm falling for her."

"Dammit, Blake," Nash growled, slamming a fist on the table. "You know the rules. No involvement with clients. You're slipping, brother. Get your head in the game, or innocent people will pay the price."

Blake clenched his fist, trying to resist the urge to yell at his brother. Or punch a wall again. He hadn’t planned any of this. But now that he was in, he couldn’t get out. “Let’s stop talking about it,” he said. “We have business to discuss.”

And I want to get back to Savannah ASAP for cuddles and kisses and a bedtime story.

As they delved into their plans, Blake couldn't shake the image of Savannah's vulnerable form, her eyes screwed tight shut with trust as she submitted to him. He knew Jax was right—a contract would give them both peace of mind and a solid foundation toexplore their desires together. He could lay down the law in the contract, too. Let her know that no matter what, his business with his brothers came first.

But deep down, he couldn't help but wonder if it was already too late. If his feelings for Savannah had crossed a line that no amount of paperwork could rectify.

Chapter twelve

SAVANNAH

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